“More than a third of the average American’s after-tax income is devoted to shelter, usually rent or mortgage payments. If a person works from age 20 to age 65, it can be fairly argued that he or she has put in 15 years (20 in California) just to keep a roof over their head. With … Read more
Kelly and Owen, I’d like to thank you for all of the wonderful information you have offered for free to the world! I’ve been following along for about a year now and it just keeps getting better and better. I have a question about insulation and thermal mass. I live in Austin Texas and our … Read more
Earthbag construction is a durable and affordable technique for building houses. The system was developed specifically with the goal of making them earthquake resistant, and they are in fact very effective at stopping most common bullet calibers. See all the best earthbag videos at EarthbagBuilding.com Videos
This 785 sq. ft. interior design connects three sloped roof roundhouses and adjoining closets to create a unique roundhouse cluster design that is earth-sheltered on three sides — east, west and north — with a sunny courtyard on the south. The 16′ bedroom roundhouses on either side can be used as bedrooms, home offices, studios, … Read more
This 20’ DIA (314 sq. ft. interior plus pantry)round earthbag shelter for up to 4-5 individuals is designed for survival through disasters, plague, etc. It is low cost, durable and practical. This shelter is designed for DIYers on a tight budget who will do most everything by hand. Instructions include numerous key details not evident … Read more
A new article by Arvid Linde in Green Home Design compares typical earth-sheltered homes with structures made of earthbags. Linde raises a number of interesting points. I agree with his assessment that most earth-sheltered designs contain a lot of high embodied energy materials, notably concrete and steel, and therefore are not as ‘green’ as they … Read more